Nina took it from him then watched as he stood and removed his suitcoat. “I know this is not proper, but it is confining, and I wish to be comfortable.”

  “If I do not wear shoes then I see no reason why you should wear a suitcoat.” Besides, she liked seeing his strong and defined arms beneath the shirt. Not that it was all that tight, but it revealed more than a suitcoat did.

  Orion did have wide, strong shoulders and had no need of the padding that she’d read about.

  “I do have some rather bad news,” he said after a moment.

  Her heart sank. Did he think that providing a pleasant afternoon would lessen the disappointment to the words he was about to say? Was he leaving Nightshade Manor? Orion had already been here longer than most gentlemen remained. In fact, all three families had stayed following the wedding when she’d anticipated that they would be gone within a sennight.

  “There is not a spell that can break your tie to the tree.”

  She blew out a sigh. Nina thought his news would be more devastating. “I did not expect that there would be one.” She leaned closer. “I did warn you, did I not?”

  “Yes,” his tone was heavy with disappointment. “I just hate that you must remain here.”

  “Why is it so important to you?” she finally asked. Did he simply want her free or was it more?

  “There is so much I wish I could show you.” He turned and took her hand. “First Bocka Morrow, then perhaps London, or Bath. Even travel to France so you can be reunited with your mother’s family.”

  Tears nearly sprang to her eyes from his kindness.

  “At least I will always be here,” he finally added. “I cannot imagine ever leaving Nightshade Manor as long as you are living in the grove.”

  Nina pulled her hand from his. “Do not say that.”

  “Why?”

  “You have a life to live. You must marry a witch, remember. It is your duty to bring children into the world.”

  He frowned and studied her. “Do you want me to marry a witch?”

  “It is your duty.”

  “That is not what I asked.”

  “It matters not what I want,” she argued.

  What she wanted, to the depths of her soul, was impossible and Nina didn’t dare voice it to Orion. She didn’t want to acknowledge it to herself because then she could not lie to herself about being content.

  “It does to me.”

  More tears filled her eyes. “Let us not ruin this perfect day talking about what can never be.”

  “Do not push me away, Nina,” he quietly begged.

  “I am not,” she returned. “Are we not on a blanket enjoying a lovely picnic? I am simply asking you not to spoil this day.”

  His study of her was intense and she felt the weight of his stare.

  She sipped her wine and tried to sample the cheese and bread, but tasted nothing. The silence had her on edge and she feared what he may say next.

  “I will not leave Bocka Morrow,” he whispered. “I will not marry.”

  “Why?” Did she really wish to know the answer?

  “How could I when the woman I have fallen in love with lives in a sacred grove. I will remain at Bocka Morrow my entire life just so that I can be with you.”

  Nina set her food aside and closed her eyes. “Do not ruin your life on my account, Orion.”

  “I would not see it as such.”

  “You would grow tired and bored. You do not know me well enough to love me.”

  “I know my heart,” he insisted. “For the first time in my life, my heart, soul, and mind are in agreement that I love you. If I cannot have you, then I want no one else.”

  “You have a duty.”

  “My duty be damned,” he ground out. “Besides, I have an older brother. It is his duty more than mine.”

  Nina swiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “It is not possible.”

  “Can you say you do not care for me?”

  She turned to him, looking into his warm brown eyes, heart aching, wishing her circumstances were different, but didn’t dare say what was in her heart. “It does not matter, Orion. What I think, feel, or desire, does not matter.”

  She stood and brushed the crumbs from her skirt. “Thank you for the picnic, but I think that it is best that you go. It is not wise to pursue the impossible. Unless you can speak of only friendship, then I would rather you not return.”

  Nina turned from him and rushed into the shrubs behind the temple. She needed to hide as quickly as possible and crossing the temple would leave her vulnerable for him to come after her.

  Tears streamed as she forced her way through the brush, trees, and bushes until she reached her home. Gaining the cottage, she entered and slammed the door behind her. Thank goodness Cassian was not about because she did not want to have to explain.

  Orion loved her. What would bring anyone else joy, shattered the wall around her heart.

  She could never say the words, but Nina did love him to the bottom of her soul. No matter how wrong, or what arguments she could make because he was the only man she knew, it did not change the fact that she loved him.

  She had to make him leave, or at least stay out of the grove. He could not give up his life nor become a prisoner of Nightshade Manor as she was a prisoner of the sacred grove. But how did she convince him to leave.

  Humans suffer many painful emotions. As you are part of them, you too suffer. Cressida’s words echoed in her mind.

  Nina now fully understood such suffering.

  They also have many joys that we never experience, Hermia had said, but Nina couldn’t imagine those joys as she would never experience them. Happiness perhaps, and in time, but joy was out of her reach.

  But we always have peace, Danae had said.

  Peace would be a wonderful thing, but was she ready to make a decision that could never be undone? It was also a decision that she’d have to live with for not just decades, but possibly centuries.

  Do not think with your heart, only with your head, and do not make any decisions on your future until there has been time and distance in which to look back, without emotion, on what is best for you, had been Galene’s wise words and that is the advice that Nina had to hold close and dear. No matter how much she longed to end her current heartache, now was not the time to make a choice that could irrevocably change her future.

  In time, she would look back and consider her options again. But not today. Today she would cry and mourn the loss of what never was and could never be.

  Twenty-Two

  After leaving Nina, Orion returned to the vault. There was so much to read and so much to learn. He also hoped that it would help keep his mind off Nina.

  No matter how much he tried to reason away that it was impossible to be in love with someone so quickly, he was, and he’d told her. She was more beautiful than any other woman he had ever met. Her heart was incomparable, and he had never, ever wanted to spend each waking hour with someone the way he did with Nina.

  Orion now knew what love truly was, yet Nina had rejected him.

  Nina was beyond anything he ever thought it possible to feel for a woman, but she would only allow him to be her friend.

  Taking a lamp, Orion wandered the aisles of the vault until he came to the door in the back. His father said he would not be able to open it until he was married, but Orion tried anyway. The door would not open.

  What if he never married, which was likely? Would he ever know? If he didn’t marry, then no other Drakos male could enter until the key had been passed on. Rather poor planning to pass it onto someone who may remain a bachelor, especially if there was important information for a man married to a witch.

  With a sigh, he turned to see what else was back here and picked up a small leather book that had been set on a table beside the door. There were no items about that it could belong to, nor was there a label on the table.

  Curiosity had him opening the cover to read what was within.

  There was not much written, but before he was halfway through with the introduction, his knees nearly gave way.

  He quickly read and turned the pages until he came to a list of names. Couples to be exact, dating back to long before the family left Greece. The last set of names was Damon and Cordelia.

  Orion closed the book and now knew why they had laughed at him that day in the garden.

  Why hadn’t his parents told him?

  Well, this certainly explained their sudden change in demeanor and opinion.

  Taking the journal, he left the vault, marched up the stairs and into his father’s library. He stood in conversation with Damon, the most recently wed male of the family.

  Orion kicked the door shut behind him then tossed the journal to his father. “Is it true?”

  His father picked it up and began to read. Some of the color left his cheeks. “Where did you get this? You are not supposed to be in that part of the vault yet.”

  “It was sitting on a table beside that door,” Orion bit out. “Is it true?”

  “Yes,” his father said in surrender.

  “And you did not feel it important that I know, especially after what happened?”

  “It was too soon.”

  “Too soon!” Orion yelled. “Do you know how much bloody heartache could have been saved if I had known what those blasted vines meant.”

  “Oh, the vines,” Damon muttered then wandered to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy.

  “Did it happen to you?”

  Damon blinked innocently. “Did what happen?”

  His cousin knew exactly what he asked. “Did vines grow about your feet and ankles when you kissed Cordelia?”

  Damon didn’t answer but looked to Orion’s father.

  His father nodded.

  “Yes, they did.”

  “Did you know why?”

  “Not at the time, and it was rather disturbing, but I was eventually told.”

  “It would have been nice if someone would have told me.” Orion glared at his father.

  “What would you have done?” his father demanded. “Neither you nor Pierce has even considered courting anyone, let alone do any actual courting. Further, you had known Nina barely a sennight when you first kissed her. Had I told you that she was your destined mate, you would have fled Nightshade Manor and likely Bocka Morrow.”

  “You do not know that,” Orion argued.

  “Nor could I trust that you would remain.”

  Orion crossed to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy. “It would have been easier had I known.”

  He took a drink and welcomed the burn down his throat and the warmth in his belly.

  “Why could I not have known, or any of the sons?”

  “Because there have been various reactions over time when a son learned before he’d met his future wife. Some panicked when the vine sprouted before they were ready to accept and disappeared until they decided that it was time. Others went about kissing every woman they could until a vine grew without putting any effort into courtship or sometimes learning her name. Some refused to kiss anyone for fear vines would grow. Because of those past examples, it was decided that the vines growing and blooming was to remain a secret until they had done so, and then only revealed to that son.”

  “Bloom?”

  “Did your vine not bloom?” Damon asked.

  Orion frowned. “No. It had buds, but it did not bloom.”

  “The kiss probably ended too soon,” Damon reasoned.

  “Can you promise that you will not say anything to your brother or male cousins?” his father asked.

  Orion thought they should know, but in retrospect, understood why it was held as a secret. Ajax and Ares, his twin cousins, would likely go about kissing every female in England to find a mate, while others would avoid kissing anyone at all so as not to be caught in the web of matrimony, or vines of marriage.

  “I will say nothing.”

  Though, another concern bothered him. “Will they grow every time I kiss her? That would be quite awkward.”

  Damon laughed. “They stop after she has agreed to marry you.”

  Nina had not been expecting Cassian to join her for dinner but was happy for the company as it kept her from being left alone with the thoughts that had been plaguing her all day. She just hoped that her brother didn’t notice that anything was amiss. He could not know of the turmoil within. First, she didn’t want to explain and second, she didn’t want him angry at Orion. They were friends and must remain so.

  “Do they not wonder where you are? You have had all your meals in the mansion since the entire Drakos family descended on Nightshade Manor.”

  “It is unlikely,” he laughed. “There are so many around the dining room table that I am certain I will not be missed.”

  Nina stirred her soup with her spoon. It wasn’t too hot to eat, she simply wasn’t hungry.

  “Do you think you might marry one day?” she asked.

  “No.” He laughed.

  “Do you not wish to?”

  “What do I have to offer a wife? Our lands are gone, the title means nothing, and I am poor.”

  She understood his excuses. Cassian also did not have an income. Everything they had came from the family that had saved him. Yet, he could find a position somewhere, maybe as a tutor, or teaching at a school. Or he could return to France and try to reclaim their family estate. Instead, he was here because of her.

  “What of love?” Nina asked.

  Just because she had to reject such, did not mean that her brother should not experience the overwhelming life-altering love that is shared between soul mates.

  Soul mates! Could Orion have been hers if circumstances had been different? If she had not been injured but raised as Cassian had been, in the Cardwell household?

  He chuckled. “Some are meant to experience love, Nina. Others are simply allowed to know it exists.” He pushed his soup aside and rose to pour a glass of brandy as sadness nearly overwhelmed her. “We should be thankful to be alive,” he reminded her.

  Cassian would forsake happiness to remain with her. It was unfair to him, but what could she do to alter his decision?

  “Perhaps a siren or nymph would have you.” If he was going to remain in the sacred grove, dryads and nereids lived here as well.

  Cassian nearly choked on his brandy. “There are rules, and I would not break them. I would be banned and never see you again.”

  “That is not true. They do not fear you as they do other men. All you need to do is ask.”

  His face turned a light shade of red.

  “Have I embarrassed you, Cassian?” She couldn’t help but tease her brother. “I believe Maera may have a particular liking for you.” She grinned.

  His face grew even redder. “That is none of your concern.”

  Nina couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good to do so as it lessened the turmoil deep within.

  “It is not something we need discuss, nor would a siren or nymph marry me,” he insisted.

  “You could still meet someone away from the grove.”

  “Enough, Nina.” Cassian set his glass aside. “Even if I did, I could not bring her back here. How would I explain something that is to be a secret? I would not endanger you or the others, nor will I marry someone I would need to lie to when I visited. It would be unfair to her and you.”

  “What of the daughter and nieces of Lord Wharton. Certainly, they would understand.” She needed her brother to find his happiness even if she could not.

  “I would never presume to court one of the daughters. It would be disrespectful, and they are almost as much a sister to me as you are.”

  “Then what do we do?” she asked as depression once again settled about her.

  It wasn’t just depression, or panic. Her brother should not be made to suffer because of a decision he made when he was six. He had begged for her life, and now he would pay that price.

  “We will be content with what we have and thankful that we survived and have each other.”

  It nearly broke her heart that Cassian would deny himself love and pleasure because of her.

  It wasn’t right, but she knew that she’d not change his mind tonight. However, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try again. One of them should be happy and experience the joys of love, marriage, and having children.

  Twenty-Three

  Orion was beginning to wonder if Nina was going to come to the temple today. He’d been sitting on the steps, looking out over the lake, and waiting since the sun rose and it was past teatime when she finally wandered into the temple.

  “Why are you here?”

  He came to his feet and approached slowly. “I found out what the vines meant.”

  Nina frowned. “How?”

  “It was written in an old journal and my father confirmed it as fact.”

  “What do they mean?”

  He couldn’t help but smile as he approached. “A gift from the Goddess Gaia to Drakos men since we would be denied powers.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “It is how a Drakos man knows when he has found his mate, the woman chosen for him. When he kisses her, vines will grow and wrap about the couple’s ankles. The longer the kiss lasts, the higher the vines will climb, and flowers will bloom.”

  Nina tilted her head and studied Orion through narrowed eyes, eyebrow quirked. She didn’t believe him.

  “It happened to my cousin. He was kissing Cordelia long enough that the vines climbed as far as his knees before he noticed.”

  “Why would the goddess do this?”

  “She found favor with Drakos men for protecting nature and witches. She also knew that even witches may try to trap a Drakos man in marriage, so she provided proof of who his chosen mate would be.”

  “She made a mistake.” Nina started to turn away, but Orion grasped her hand.

  “No, she did not, and it explains so much.”

  She drew in a breath and if Orion wasn’t mistaken, there was fear in her eyes. Or was it longing and pain? Her pewter eyes shifted with her moods. Lighter when laughing, darker after shared passion. They might as well be stormy now, with shifting of light and he couldn’t tell her emotions, or maybe there was a combination rioting inside.